To God be glory

​8-13-21
Today's devotion is based on 2 Corinthians 4:13-15, "Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God."
I grew up in a home where daily devotions were the norm,  we read from the Bible. Before we ate any meal, we prayed, 'Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed.' Today's verse encourages us to give thanks and glorify God. When praying, we can use the memory aid ACTS to structure our prayers, including adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. I use it every morning in my prayers, and it has helped me focus more on God than myself.
Adoration – some of our favorite hymns How great thou art, Amazing grace and To God be the glory offers some beautiful examples of this.
Confession – this can include reflection on where we have strayed from leading a godly life. This can help us become aware of who we may have hurt. We then can consider not just asking God for forgiveness but also what we need to do to heal relationships.
Thanksgiving – there is so much that we can give thanks for, not least for the grace God extends to all of us, as this verse states. So, let's give thanks whenever and wherever we can, particularly to our loving God whose grace is there for you, me, and anyone who dares to claim it.
Supplication – God is happy to hear our prayers and wants us to bring our requests through them. God is generous in answering those prayers – how very blessed we are!
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Gracious God, thank you for the gift of faith that lets us believe we will be with you in eternal life. Thank you for your gift of grace, and we ask that you give us thankful hearts so that we can live our lives to your glory and to the good of our family and community. Amen.